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Saturday, 17 June 2017

Book Review - The Daisy Picker by Roisin Meaney - Back Catalogue Books

Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for.

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, going to aim to read books that have been out for at least 6 months, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!

Given I have a large amount of Roisin Meaney's books on my kindle, it sort of made some sense to start at the beginning and read her debut novel.

Title: The Daisy Picker

Author: Roisin Meaney

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Gill and Macmillan

Publication Date: 18th May 2004

Rating: 5 Stars

Bizzie seems to have it all: loving parents, a nice creative sideline in mouth-watering cakes, and the most eligble man in Kilmorris waiting to marry her. But one day she stumbles across something that will change her life, and soon she's chucked a backpack into her car and set off into the Wild West - of Ireland, that is - in search of adventure.

She's in for a few surprises - there's sexy Pete for a start, a charming new home, true friendship and an offer that will make her sweet dreams a reality. She begins to think that things could hardly be more perfect.

And then she meets Joe, who's about to turn her life upside down…

What a thoroughly enjoyable book, all about Lizzie who realises that if she doesn't do something rather drastic she may genuinely die of boredom with her life. She is 41 years old, only ever lived with her parents, has worked the same job since she was 18 and it started as a summer job, and has been engaged for far too many years, so a man she sees twice a week, always on the same days and to do the same things. She has the same meals on the same days every week, and she has never lived Ireland. And if that sounds a bit on the dull side, well that is Lizzie's life, but only for the first few chapters after which she makes plans and follows through with a radical life change, and sets off in search of a more fulfilling life, and ideally a job in a bakery as baking cakes is her life long passion. From the moment she sets off on this adventure to story becomes really enthralling, I loved seeing the new people she meets and looking around the new village that Lizzie decides to settle in. Although even before that bit I was really amused by the thoughts running through her head in any dialogue with her parents (sarcastic thoughts that will never be spoken out loud). There are so many brand new characters introduced, some of them who turn out to be a lot more relevant than others. Although there are hints that Lizzie may be interested in an eligible man, it is not the overriding story, which is to follow your heart. The message seems to be life is too short to be stuck in a massive rut, and that you should live your life without regrets, and the way its illustrated was great. This was Roisin Meaney's debut novel, although it isn't the first book that I have read by the author. Although I can see that her writing has matured over the years, this is still an impressive and highly entertaining debut, that I really enjoyed reading. In fact I was surprised as just how fast I read this book, and how much I loved reading it.